Tag-Archive for » WWDC «
The Other World – Episode 51
Tuesday, June 19th, 2012 | Author: OWC NewsFeed
Category: The Other World
Make the Most of the Mac Pro “Refresh”
Thursday, June 14th, 2012 | Author: OWC Grant
Though unmentioned in the WWDC Keynote and all but lost in the Retina display euphoric afterglow, the Mac Pro did get an upgrade in the form of a processor bump and a price drop. Now, the entry-level Mac Pro sports a 3.2GHz Quad-Core processor and 6GB of RAM for around $2500, which is both about 400MHz faster, approximately $500 less expensive, and features twice as much memory than the base option offered previously. Many authorities consider the sweet spot to be the 3.33GHz 6-Core model, which is available as a custom option.
So long as you’re not thinking of it as “new” , but rather a “refresh” of the 2010 model line (which many will say it is), it’s fair to say the base speed/price adjustment represents a better value than the 2010 Mac Pro you could have bought a month ago.
However, that doesn’t change the fact that its been far too long since the last update. Considering how long this Mac Pro configuration has been in service and the technological advances since it was introduced, many Mac Pro users took this lack of an actual hardware upgrade as a slap in the face. These users are often professionals with heavy data processing needs. To them, having an “update” without the speed/expandability of USB 3.0 or Thunderbolt, much less relying on out-of-date processor technology, is ridiculous. As a result, there was a huge outcry by pro users over yet another “snubbing” of the Mac Pro from the upgrade cycle - so much so that even Apple relented and took down the “New” label off of the Mac Pro page.
If your business is in need of new Mac Pros and you were holding out in hopes of a refresh, you have several options. You can upgrade your current machines, buy the latest “refresh” machines, or continue to wait until an all new Mac Pro platform comes along, which Tim Cook has confirmed to be some time in 2013 .
However you decide to proceed, OWC has the upgrades that can help boost an existing or “refreshed” Mac Pro’s performance right now to levels that might just meet your all your needs. Article Continues…
Category: Product Spotlight
Apple Now Using SandForce-based SSDs in 2012 MacBook Air
Tuesday, June 12th, 2012 | Author: OWC Grant
An old saying goes, “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”
It seems as though Apple has decided to follow our lead and base the Solid State Drives in the new 2012 MacBook Air models (model ID MacBookAir5,1 and MacBookAir5,2) on the SandForce 2281 processor.
As you may know, our Aura Pro Express was the first aftermarket SSD available for 2010-2011 MacBook Air machines (and still the only one offered for the 2010 MBA models) and our Aura Pro MBA joined that first of its kind status for the 2008-2009 MacBook Airs.
Unfortunately though, the new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 15″ Retina Display models use a new SSD slot connector design, thus making our Aura Pro Express not compatible.
From the very first OWC Mercury SSD we built two plus years ago, SandForce was the only processor we considered worthy to represent our brand. We’re pleased to see Apple has finally adopted what we have found to be the best SSD controller for our own drives.
While that unofficial endorsement of our decision to only use SandForce controllers is gratifying, we’re more excited about what that kind of support from Apple should mean in terms of new developments from SandForce.
The future of Mac-focused SSDs just got brighter for sure.
On that note, be sure to check back soon as we’ll have more posts regarding SSD developments.
UPDATE 6/12/12
Apparently, the shine could be a bit off on this apple, so to speak. We just received an image from an industry associate who bought a new 2012 11″ MacBook Air and it shows a Samsung controller-based SSD. That’s a bit reminiscent of a similar issue with the 2011 machines; if you got the Toshiba-based SSD, you got slower performance than the Samsung. There was no way to specify or otherwise ensure you would get the higher performing Samsung SSD, so it was like playing the lottery.
Stay tuned to the blog as we’ll work on getting both the new 2012 MacBook Air SSDs and do some benchmarking to see if there is any performance difference like there was in past.
Category: Apple News
All New MacBook Pro; Updated MacBook Air
Monday, June 11th, 2012 | Author: OWC NewsFeed
In case you hadn’t heard, Apple announced some new hardware today. Actually, they also announced a lot of Apps and OS features, but for many, the focus was on the new hardware. For the last couple of weeks (and even right up to announcement time), wild speculation made its rounds. There were rumors, rumbles, supposed leaks, wish lists, and probably a case or two of “just making it up for ratings” — like just about every Apple hardware release.
The extra attention really wasn’t that surprising, though, as this had been rumored to be the largest hardware refresh in a while, and those rumors included some models, like the Mac Pro, which haven’t been updated in a quite some time.
While, the hardware updates weren’t quite as extensive as we’d been anticipating, the updates we did get were quite substantial. It’s all the more significant for a software-focused event like WWDC. Here’s a brief summary of the new iron from Apple. Article Continues…
Category: Apple News
WWDC to Bring Lots of New Hardware
Friday, June 8th, 2012 | Author: OWC Chris S.
Every year, Apple has its conference focusing on Developers across the globe; appropriately called the World-Wide Developers Conference. Generally, it’s a showcase for Apple’s new technologies and software, with a focus on programming for Mac OS X and iOS. While there have been a number of hardware releases at WWDC over the years, including the Xserve, the iSight camera, and the original Mac Pro, the focus has generally been on software; in recent years, iOS has predominated the scene, with OS X taking a bit of a back seat.
This year, though, Apple is rumored to be putting a big focus on hardware by refreshing a large portion of its product line all at once. Here’s a quick rundown of what’s speculated to be making an appearance. Article Continues…
Category: Apple News